Modern Classics

Reshevsky-Petrosian, 1953

Reshevsky-Petrosian, Candidates Tournament, Zurich 1953

Position after 25.Rf1-e1

In the end of summer of 1953 fifteen strongest players in the world met in Switzerland in a double round robin tournament to establish the challenger in the World Championship match against Mikhail Botvinnik. With 30 rounds the Candidates Tournament in Zurich lasted almost two months and produced many highly interesting and creative games.

In the presented encounter from the second round, one of the favourites, Samuel Reshevsky, pressed hard with the white pieces against the youngest participant of the tournament. But already then it was clear that the 24-year-old Tigran Petrosian has an outstanding sense of danger, which helped him in this game to resist Reshevsky's pressure and defend successfully. Thanks to the high level of play, and especially Black's impressive idea in the middlegame, this game became one of the most famous in Petrosian's practice.

 

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MoveNResultEloPlayers
Position not in LiveBook
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 c5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 b6 9...Qc7 9...dxc4 10.Bxc4 Qc7 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Bb2 11.Ne5 Qc7 12.f4 12.Nxc6 Qxc6 13.f3 11...c4 12.Bc2 Bg4 13.Qe1 Ne4 13...Bxf3 14.gxf3 Qd7 14.Nd2 14.Ne5 Nxe5 15.dxe5 Nc5 14...Nxd2 15.Qxd2 Bh5 16.f3 Bg6 17.e4 Qd7 18.Rae1 dxe4 18...b5 18...Rfe8 19.e5 Bxc2 20.Qxc2 b5 21.f4 f5 22.g4 19.fxe4 Rfe8 19...Ne5 20.Qe2 Qb5 20.Qf4 20.a4 Ne5 20...b5 21.Bd1 Re7 22.Bg4 Qe8 23.e5 a5 24.Re3 Rd8 24...b4 25.Rfe1 25.Rfe1 Re6 25...Ra7 26.e6 f6 27.Bf3 27.a4 b4 28.d5 Rxd5 29.Qxc4 27...Ne7 25...Rb7 26.e6 f6 27.Bf3 26.a4 26.Bxe6 Qxe6 26...Ne7 26...b4 27.d5 Rxd5 28.Bxe6 Qxe6 29.Qxc4 27.Bxe6 fxe6 28.Qf1 28.Rg3 Nd5 29.Qd2 b4 28...Nd5 29.Rf3 Bd3 30.Rxd3 30.Qf2 b4 30...cxd3 31.Qxd3 b4 32.cxb4 32.c4 Nb6 32...axb4 33.a5 Ra8 34.Ra1 Qc6 35.Bc1 35.a6 Nf4 36.Qd2 Nd5 37.a7 Qd7 35...Qc7 35...Rxa5 36.Rxa5 Qxc1+ 37.Qf1 Qe3+ 38.Kh1 36.a6 Qb6 37.Bd2 b3 38.Qc4 h6 39.h3 b2 40.Rb1 Kh8 41.Be1 Rxa6 42.Qc8+ Kh7 43.Qc2+ Kh8 44.Qxb2 Qxb2 45.Rxb2
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Reshevsky,S-Petrosian,T- Candidates Tournament2